Discusses the challenges facing schools helping youth offenders make successful transitions from confinement to participation in their communities and highlights effective programs. The contrast between the structured environment of juvenile detention and correction facilities and the relatively flexible environment of mainstream education settings presents problems for both youth and educators. In addition, youth offenders making the transition back to school often continue to be affected by the risk factors that contributed to the conduct that placed them under court jurisdiction in the first place. Successful strategies for reintegrating adolescent offenders into the education mainstream or the workforce include providing a full array of special education programs, offering training in entry-level job skills, and focusing on the development of life skills. Also critical is communication and information sharing among all of the agencies involved in helping these teens to develop and achieve positive goals. Instruction in the community schools must be relevant to these students’ interests and needs and enable them to develop problem-solving skills. With the full support of their schools and communities, these youth can make the transition back to school and build a future as responsible, successful adults.
